It’s arguable that Amazon has been the biggest agent of change in the worlds of publishing and retailing over the last fifteen years. Its position as the key route to the consumer both for sales of physical and e-books has put it in a very particular position of power in the world of books. This has in turn led to a sometimes heated debate about whether it is a force for good – or the reverse – or both.

A number of alternatives present themselves for debate – its customer service versus its lowest common denominator approach to pricing; its creation of self-publishing opportunities versus its aggression towards suppliers; its long term visionary development of its business model/offer versus increasing shareholder impatience; its status as a digital behemoth versus its undeniable position as a retailing giant…

All of these questions and more will be tackled by our expert panel of speakers under the watchful eye of our Moderator – Philip Walters. The speakers will be: Mike Shatzkin from The Idea Logical Company, Fionnuala Duggan, formerly CEO of CourseSmart, and Michael Ross from Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Key Topics:

Has Amazon been a force for good or the reverse in our industries?

Has its elevation of the consumer to unparalleled heights come at too great a cost to its suppliers and content creators?

Is its business model sustainable?

Has it challenged the publishing industry in ways that the latter needed to be challenged?

Is it primarily a creative disruptor or a traditional retailer in e-form?

For more information please download the flyer or contact Sophie Miller on admin@stationers.org or call 020 7246 0982